“Her art is amazing,” Roy said, between mouthfuls of his sandwich. He slumped on the floor against a wall, beside his toolbox and a pair of books.

It was lunchtime, and he and Darryl had volunteered to fix a leg of the conference room table.  It was a nice change of pace and a chance to eat their bagged meals in a more comfortable environment.  Roy had brought with him two library books about art that he'd been trying to get through in recent weeks.  They were tough reads for him, but he had been making an effort to understand his Pammy’s interests and in the process was learning more than he expected.

Darryl popped open his soda and sat down.  “I still can’t believe you’re going through all this just to get her back. That’s not the Roy I know.”

“I got her back," said Roy. "Now I’m trying to keep her. Hey, I’m trying to change. I’m going to impress her at her art show tonight.” He smiled and imagined the scene. “I’ll tell her that her paintings have a pix....pixilated look reminiscent of impressionism.”  He had seen how much work she’d put into one of her works, a painting of the very building they were in now, and was looking forward to complimenting the many layers she used to get the sky just right and her skillful use of the right angle in composition.

“Wow,” Darryl laughed, and put his can down before he spilled it. “That is not what she wants to hear at all, man.”

“It’s not?”

“She knows you’re a simple guy.  That’s why she likes you.  If she wanted a smart guy she’d have gone with that skinny-legged dude.”

“I guess so,” Roy shrugged.

“She came back to you because you’re down to earth,” Darryl said firmly. “Don’t go changing her image of you, or you’ll mess things up and lose her again.”

Roy took another bite and looked at the books beside him.  Had he made a mistake? Would this drive her away again?

“I guess you’ve got a point,” he grunted.  Darryl was right, what had he been thinking? It was best she never knew about this dumbass idea of his. “I’ll put it more like she expects me to.”

“There you go.  Just say it’s pretty or some shit. Now pass me that hammer.  We have a table to finish fixing.”